AMID the rise in Covid cases in the city, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Iqbal Singh Chahal took stock of the preparations on Tuesday and directed health officials to increase testing.  However, a visit to dispensaries and HBT clinics revealed that many are still awaiting Covid testing kits. Other pathology tests are also taking more than 48 hours and patients are not getting complete reports even after the wait. Civic health workers are unhappy about the situation as they have no valid answers when patients ask them for reports but refrain from being vocal to avoid facing a backlash from their superiors.

On April 4, mid-day carried a story (Cases rising, screening ordered, but no test kits) about the order issued to dispensaries and HBT clinics to increase Covid testing. However, Krsnaa Diagnostics, tasked with providing Covid testing kits to civic health centres under the Aapli Chitkitsa scheme, failed to supply Covid test kits. Following the story, the BMC directed them again to provide kits to all dispensaries. A week later, several dispensaries still don't have any testing kits.